Tutorial 4

Fourier Series

Questions are taken from the book of R.K. Nagle et al (2012).

Question 4.1. Determine whether the following functions are even, odd, or neither.

(a) f (x) = (1 − x2 )−1/2 (d) f (x) = sin(x + 1)

(b) f (x) = e−x cos 3x (e) f (x) = x3 + sin 2x

(c) f (x) = sin2 (x) (f) f (x) = x1/5 cos x2

Question 4.2. Prove the following properties:

(a) If f and g are even functions, then f g is also an even function.

(b) If f and g are odd functions, then f g is an even function.

(c) If f is an even function and g is an odd function, then f g is an odd function.

Question 4.3. Compute the Fourier series for the given function f . Subsequently, determine the
function to which the Fourier series for each f (x) converges.

(a) f (x) = |x|, −π < x < π. (d) f (x) = x2 , −1 < x < 1.


 1, −2 < x < 0,


(b) f (x) =  x,

0 < x < π,
 x,

0 < x < 2. (e) f (x) =
 x + π, −π < x < 0.


 0, −π < x < 0,

(c) f (x) =
 x2 , 0 < x < π.

(f) f (x) = ex , −π < x < π

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Tutorial 4.




 0, −π < x < − π2 ,


 −1, − π < x < 0,


2
(g) f (x) =



 1, 0 < x < π2 ,



 0, π
2 < x < π.

Question 4.4. Find the functions represented by the series obtained by termwise integration of the
given series from −π to x:
∞
X (−1)n+1
(a) 2 sin(nx) ∼ x, −π < x < π.
n=1
n

∞  −1, −π < x < 0,

4 X sin[(2n + 1)x]
(b) ∼ f (x), where f (x) =
π n=0
2n + 1  1,

0 < x < π.

Question 4.5.

(a) Is the set of functions

{0, 1, sin(2πx), cos(2πx), sin(4πx), cos(4πx), . . . , sin(2nπx), cos(2nπx), . . . }

an orthogonal system on [−1, 1] with respect to the weight function w(x) = 1?

(b) If yes, is it orthonormal?

(c) Find the orthogonal expansion (generalized Fourier series) for


 0, −1 < x < 0,

f (x) =
 1, 0 < x < 1.


Question 4.6.

(a) Show that the function f (x) = x2 has the Fourier series, on −π < x < π,
∞
π2 X (−1)n
f (x) ∼ +4 cos(nx).
3 n=1
n2

(b) Use the result of part (a) and Theorem 4.2.8 (from the notes) to show that
∞
X (−1)n+1 π2
=
n=1
n2 12

and
∞
X 1 π2
= .
n=1
n2 6

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Question 4.7. From Chapter 3, it is known that the Legendre polynomials Pn (x) are orthogonal
on the interval [−1, 1] with respect to the weight function w(x) = 1. (Refer to Section 8.8 of R.K.
Nagle et al (2012) and try to prove this on your own) Using the fact that the first three polynomials
are

P0 (x) = 1,

P1 (x) = x,
3 1
P2 (x) = x2 − ,
2 2
find the first three coefficients in the expansion

f (x) = a0 P0 (x) + a1 P1 (x) + a2 P2 (x) + · · · ,

where f (x) is the function


 −1, −1 < x < 0,
 (b) f (x) = |x|, −1 < x < 1.
(a) f (x) =
 1,

0 < x < 1.

Question 4.8. The Hermite polynomials Hn (x) are orthogonal on the interval (−∞, ∞) with re-
2
spect to the weight function w(x) = e−x . Verify this fact for the first three Hermite polynomials:

H0 (x) = 1,

H1 (x) = 2x,

H2 (x) = 4x2 − 2.

Question 4.9. The Chebyshev (Tchebichef) polynomials Tn (x) are orthogona; on the interval
[−1, 1] with respect to the weight function w(x) = (1 − x2 )−1/2 . Verify this fact for the first
three Chebyshev polyomials:

T0 (x) = 1,

T1 (x) = x,

T2 (x) = 2x2 − 1.

Question 4.10. Let {fn (x)} be an orthogonal set of functions on the interval [a, b] with respect to
the weight function w(x). Show that they satisfy the Pythagorean property

kfm + fn k2 = kfm k2 + kfn k2

if m 6= n.

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Tutorial 4.

Question 4.11. Determine the

(a) π-periodic extension,

(b) odd 2π-periodic extension f0 , and

(c) even π-periodic extension fe

of the following functions:

(i) f (x) = x2 , 0<x<π

(ii) f (x) = sin(2x), 0<x<π


 0, 0 < x < π ,

2
(iii) f (x) =
 1, π < x < π.

2

(iv) f (x) = π − x, 0<x<π

Subsequently, sketch their graphs.

Question 4.12. State whether the following functions are even or odd. Subsequently, compute its
Fourier series.
 
 t, − π2 <x< π
2, x, − π2 < x < π2 ,
 

(a) f (x) = (d) h(x) =
 0, π 3π  π − x, π 3π

2 <x< 2 .

2 <x< 2 .
 
t, − π2 <x< π
2,
x, 0 < x < π,

 

(b) f (t) = (e) f (x) =
 −t, π 3π  π − x, π < x < 2π.
<x< 2 .
 
2

(f) f (x) = x2 , −2 < x < 2


 −2x,

−π < x < 0,
(c) g(x) =
2x, 0 < x < π. (g) g(t) = et , −1 < x < 1



Question 4.13. Compute the complex Fourier series for the given functions.

 k,

−π ≤ x < 0, (b) f (x) = x, 0 < x < 2π
(a) f (x) =
 0,

0 ≤ x ≤ π.
(c) f (x) = x2 , −2 < x < 2

Question 4.14. Show that the complex Fourier coefficients of an even function are real and coeffi-
cients of an odd function are purely imaginary.